The Garden of Earthly Delights
by Katie Havok
Summary: "No one else would let me do this, Tina," he reminds her with moving honesty, and for the barest moment he is her Newt—the kind and gentle soul she'd fallen so hopelessly, irrevocably in love with; the man who'd approached her with a game of sorts after a long courtship carried on through heated correspondences. [Or, the Newtina light BDSM fic that *had* to be written.]
1. Chapter 1

Warning: **smut!** Also, just in case it isn't clear, everything that Newt and Tina do in this is _wholly consensual,_ and is done within the limits of their pre-negotiated Dom/sub agreement. This isn't their first time playing these games, and it certainly won't be their last!

Originally published on Ao3 on July 1st, 2017.

* * *

Teeth on her neck, and his voice low in her ear: it's her favorite way to be with him.

Newt's hands are gentle but firm when he bends her over her desk. He uses his wand to absently cast a _Sonus impedimento_ charm before hiking up her dress, roughly shoving it past the swell of her hips to expose the curve of her ass. She moans into the scarred and messy surface of her work desk when he growls deep in his throat while grabbing a handful of pale flesh.

Coarse wool scratches her rear. She presses her forehead into her blotter while his hands run meditatively over her curves. "Tina," Newt asks, and she shivers viscerally at his uninflected tone. "Were you jealous? Is that why you saw fit to make a scene in front of an international delegation?"

She chokes while nodding. Newt hisses between his teeth as the fabric pressed against her ass moves with a whisper, then— _smack!_ The sound of a calloused hand meeting her waiting flesh. Tina bites back a low moan at the welcome pain. Newt rubs the stinging mark soothingly while dragging calloused fingertips over her spine, a welcome counterpoint to her punishment.

"You are to _speak up_ when you answer me," he reminds her in a low purr. Tina huffs out a broken sigh and nods—knowing it's going to irritate him; knowing he's going to punish her for it. Which Newt does, much harder this time. Her moan fills the air, curling around them both until he hums thoughtfully.

"I realize that you must show your teeth sometimes," he muses, and there's a rustle of fabric as he pushes Tina's party dress around her waist. "I also recognize when you need to be reminded of your place." She gasps when Newt's fingers slip beneath her to frig her nipple before scraping her sides. "But why on _earth_ would you think me interested in that silly slip of a woman when I have _you_?"

His tone is gentle, almost musing, but there's a warning undercurrent clipping his vowels. Tina squeezes her eyes shut while refraining the urge to press into his roving hands. There's a fine line they toe whenever they do this, one that neither of them has dared to cross despite their mutual enthusiasm; she can only hope that he understands the driving force behind her pernicious wants and respond in kind.

"You _smiled_ at her," she grates out intentionally.

There's a tense moment of silence before he spanks her without warning—a hard, well-aimed slap that rocks her to her core. She rolls her shoulders in a practiced move to absorb the blow while gasping into her desk. Newt's fingers stroke the mark he's left behind as her hips roll autonomously into his touch. He murmurs to himself before pressing gentle lips to the curve of her spine.

"I am aware of how I responded," Newt whispers into her skin. His hands skate along her sides to return to her nipples, pinching them hard enough to bring tears to her eyes. She hisses when his wool trousers rub against her smarting skin, the hot/cold, tingling pleasure enough to make her bite back an imploring whine. Newt thrusts against her once, almost thoughtfully, and she moans as shockwaves rock her core.

Then he moves away, his hands and mouth leaving her abruptly as she closes her eyes in self-recrimination. "I'm also aware," he says from a short distance, "that you may have just caused an international scandal by dragging me away from the Under-Secretary to the Minister of Magic." His tone is casual, almost diffident, but Tina recognizes the true distress curling just beneath his words.

"I didn't mean to," Tina whispers. He makes a disbelieving sound at that. She relaxes her posture while turning her head, meeting his eyes in clear challenge as Newt frowns thunderously at her. For a wonder, he's still neatly put together, bowtie straight and buttons all fastened—but she recognizes the hectic color in his cheeks, the way his eyes glinted dangerously as he watches her.

A dark thrill wraps around her spine as her muscles begin to thrum in anticipation. His eyes fall to her lips when she moistens them, widening slightly as she wiggles her ass. The glass beads on her dress rattle invitingly and he blinks once, slowly, before moving to her.

Tina focuses on mastering her expression when rough hands pin her wrists together at the small of her back. It's an uncomfortable angle. Her cheek is pressed into the seam of her blotter, neck, and shoulders crooked almost cruelly, but that's the entire point—and he's always served her well in this regard.

Newt squeezes her gently, grounding her in the moment, before whispering a spell. Silk bindings slither around her wrists and forearms, tight enough to cut into her flesh. Tina sighs blissfully when he tests their tension before reaching for his trousers.

The rustle of fabric being parted overrides the harsh rasp of her breathing. Tina moans in keen anticipation when his blunt fingernails dig into where she's still red and stinging before raking across her flesh. A shudder works through her when something hot and hard butts against her ass before his fingers slip past her curves to outline her sex, finding her already hot and sodden. Newt hums with obvious approval.

"Is this why you did it?" he asks while brushing her clit. She jerks her hips with a small cry before craning her neck to peer at him from over her shoulder. Newt watches her steadily, his lips a firm line when he pinches her and _twists_ before sinking two fingers inside. Stars explode behind her eyes, and it isn't until his hand falls still that she remembers to answer the question.

"No," she gasps. He looks skeptical, hand poised but unmoving over her quim. She's _desperate_ for him to continue touching her so she goes on. "I was truly worried that you were interested in her," Tina blurts out. "I realize now that I was wrong and— _oh!_ "

Newt drops to his knees to bury his face in her quim without warning, wrapping his lips around the bud of her clit before pressing with his tongue. She quivers and cries out, fingernails cutting into her palms as he sucks her. Tina shudders beneath the intense onslaught until Newt pulls back, casually wiping his chin on his sleeve. She moans at the loss of sensation when he touches his upper lip thoughtfully.

"No one else would let me do this, Tina," he reminds her with moving honesty, and for the barest moment he is _her_ Newt—the kind and gentle soul she'd fallen so hopelessly, irrevocably in love with; the man who'd approached her with a game of sorts after a long courtship carried on through heated correspondences. The fiance who'd offered to take her many burdens onto his own shoulders, if only for a little while, and allow her the pleasure of true _release_.

 _That_ man kneels behind her as her wrists chafe beneath his bindings, her ass cheeks stinging red and imprinted with his reprimands. Tears fill her eyes, and she blinks them away while swallowing her sudden guilt. "I'm sorry," she whispers, knowing that it's what they both need to hear, knowing that it's part of the game—and in the blink of an eye her Newt is eclipsed by _this_ Newt: the one adept at walking her along the razor's edge between pleasure and pain while deftly ensuring they never fall.

He stands suddenly. "Shall I fuck you, then?" he muses in a low voice, and she shivers delightedly when the taboo word slips easily past his lips. He pinches her clit before spanking it very lightly, just hard enough to tease as she grinds onto his fingers. Newt slides his hand along her spine to fist a hank of her hair, and she moans when he smoothly torsions her head back to latch his mouth onto her shoulder. She strains to meet him until he kisses her hard enough to bruise before dragging his teeth down her neck.

Tina mewls needily when his blunt tip nudges her entrance, her tongue tripping over his name as her hips jerk backward. Newt moves with her when she strains toward him, refusing to sink in until she's plaintively tugging at the ropes binding her, thighs trembling with frustration. She chokes out his name, prompting him to huff before sliding his cock along the seam of her yearning cunt. He circles her clit teasingly before slipping inside, stretching her deliciously as she shudders around a long, slow moan.

Tina's breath hitches when he squeezes her thighs, the tips of his fingers buried in her flesh as he grinds them together. Her deliciously sore bottom smarts when the coarse wool of his suit jacket rubs it, making her tingle all over. She moans loudly when he adjusts the torque of their hips before pulling out of her, only to push back in hard enough for their skin to smack together.

Newt purrs when every muscle in her body slackens in bliss, causing her to sag into her desk as he takes her roughly from behind. " _Good_ girl," he murmurs approvingly. His strong arms tug her against him rhythmically until she deliriously takes over their thrusting, freeing his hands to glide over her exposed skin and to occasionally spank her when she begins to flag.

His hands clamp onto her hips when he takes over, his upper half curving around her to kiss and bite the nape of her neck before pressing his lips to her neck. Everything inside her turns hot and taut when his low, breathy voice sounds in her ear.

"You're so _tight_ like this," Newt marvels after a particularly hard thrust. "Do you like it when I fuck you like a beast, Tina?" She shudders while moaning enthusiastic agreement, and his hips stutter briefly before resuming their steady rhythm. "Should I mount your exquisite cunt from behind more often?"

He murmurs a throaty spell and suddenly her hands are free. Her fingers tingle with increased blood flow as she uses one arm to brace herself against the desk, angling herself to be more receptive to his focused thrusts. The other, she works between her legs to cup where he is fullest, gently cradling where he draws tight against her palm as he furiously drives into her.

Tina looks over her shoulder to meet his lust-heavy eyes. He groans her name while jerking his chin. "Touch yourself," Newt orders in a breathy growl. She unthinkingly complies, rubbing her clit in spiraling circles until her mouth falls open with a short, sharp cry as she comes. She trembles beneath him violently, jerking her hips against his in offering until she slumps onto the desk.

Newt twines an arm around her waist to catch her when she sags. His hips move impossibly faster as she recovers, and he waits until she can support her own weight before releasing her. His hands move from her hips and waist to her ass, grasping her swollen cheeks hard enough to sting as he forces her pelvis _upward_. The way he slides within her lengthens and _deepens_ with the new angle, causing him to groan thickly before meeting her eyes with a shaky nod.

Tina rocks her hips in time to his when he begins to tremble, watching his cherished face carefully as his brow furrows and his fingers dig into her skin. He comes with an echoing shout, and Tina tenses her legs and arms in anticipation of his weight moments before he collapses onto her.

Newt shakily kisses her back as he recovers his bearings, before taking a deep breath and straightening. He withdraws with a small hiss to tuck himself away before setting his clothes to rights with badly trembling hands.

"Are you alright?" Newt asks her gently. Tina smiles while shakily rolling onto her back. He hastens to help, straightening her cramped legs to rub blood into her curves before reaching into his suit jacket. He pulls out a familiar jar, and a small smile touches his lips as he rubs arnica salve into her reddened wrists. Tina murmurs her thanks when he helps her stand, only for him to blush deeply while asking her to present her backside to him.

His touch is infinitely gentle as he applies the balm to her reddened cheeks. Newt carefully watches her face for signs of discomfort before saying softly, "You know I only have eyes for you, Tina. I would never even consider taking up with another woman. Not when I have you in my life."

He murmurs a cooling spell after the salve has absorbed, causing her to shiver. Tina sighs happily when the deep ache gradually fades into little more than a low reminder. "I know," she whispers when his hands fall still against her skin. "And you know that I...I have to push _back_ sometimes." He nods his understanding before taking her hand to pull her close.

Newt kisses her then, his mouth slow and lingering. "Thank you," Tina murmurs against his lips, and they both know she's talking about more than what's just transpired between them. He hums and presses their cheeks together before fussily straightening her dress and smoothing her hair.

"My pleasure, as always," Newt whispered while tucking an errant strand behind her ear. She straightens his crooked bowtie before taking his hand. A quick inspection finds him no more rumpled than usual, and he lazily waves his wand to cancel the silencing spell before slipping it into its holster. "Shall we go back?"

Tina playfully rolls her eyes. "I suppose," she smirks and takes her time appreciatively taking in his lean form. "Though honestly, I'd rather take you home." She shows a slow smile. "I'm not keen on sharing you right now, even if I know it's me you'll leave with tonight."

Newt pushes the hair off the nape of her neck to kiss it lingeringly. _Possessively_. "I feel the same," he purrs, "but the evening is almost done. One or two more dances each, a bit more mingling, and then we can go." He smirks cheekily, green eyes dancing. "Maybe you'll allow me to make up for my roughness of earlier?" His fingers brush her curves until she shivers, nipples tingling to a point when he presses his mouth to her ear. "A backrub, perhaps?"

" _Mmm_ ," Tina breathes agreement while tilting her head back, allowing his hand to cradle her throat. He presses soft, damp kisses to the column of her neck before breathing deeply of her scent, his arms twining around her from behind. "I'd like that."

"Good," Newt breathes and indulges in a few more kisses before reluctantly straightening. One last check of their clothes and he takes her elbow like a gentleman, gesturing for her to precede him.

"After you, my love," he murmurs and allows Tina to lead him back to the party.


	2. Chapter 2

Newt takes her wrap at the door before bending to help Tina out of her shoes. He presses a kiss to her shapely calf while sliding his palms along her legs, callouses rasping over the fine silk, and sighs shakily before standing to press their lips together, his kiss a light weight that is heavy with ownership.

"We should get cleaned up," he murmurs while burying his nose in her neck, inhaling her distinctive scent of sweat and perfume overlaid by the acrid stench of cigarette smoke. Tina's eyes gleam speculatively at him when she smiles, until he kisses her forehead chastely and steps back. "Go have a bath, love, then meet me in our bed."

Tina ducks her head while putting her back to him and pushes the dark spill of her hair aside. "Help me with my dress?" Newt's hands are steady as he frees her buttons, and she rocks her head back in bliss when he presses a line of warm kisses down the delicate nape of her neck to the fair skin between her shoulder blades. He runs his tongue out to taste her and nips gently before moving away.

"Salty or sweet tonight?" Newt asks her in a low voice, referring to their system of determining how intensely they play their games. Tina turns to kiss the scar hooked across the bridge of his nose with a quirked brow.

"How about a little of both?" Her slow smile shows itself, made all the more alluring by the red pigment coating her lips. Newt reaches out to trace her mouth with his thumb, her eyes smiling at him coyly when she wraps her lips around it and sucks. He endures the tease stoically, controlling his reaction until she releases him with a wet sound to pout prettily.

"Go take a bath," he amends his earlier command, "but leave the lipstick on. I wish to put your impertinent mouth to far _better_ use tonight."

Newt watches a tremor work through her as her eyes _darken_. Tina moistens her lips with a nod before remembering her punishment of earlier. He watches her weight her choices while looking away to whisper, "Yes, okay," before turning. Her dress hangs off her loosely and with her back to him, he allows himself to gape as he stares after her.

Then the door closes between them and he releases a pent-up sigh of relief while loosening his bow tie.

* * *

Tina's waiting for him when he enters the bedroom, laying in the center of their bed with her hands resting primly on her stomach. Newt doesn't look at her as he strides into the room; instead, he strips off his clothes and spells them to clean, press and hang themselves while she watches.

He opens a small drawer on his side of the bed to pull out a few supplies before glancing at her with a questioningly raised eyebrow. Tina nods agreement while settling more firmly into the pillows. He leans over the bed to kiss her curvy red mouth and she welcomes him with a hungry sound, twining her fingers through his hair until he pulls away.

"I'm going to go wash up," Newt murmurs into the graceful curve of her neck. "While I'm gone, I want you to touch yourself." He hides his smile in her skin when she moans hungrily, infusing his voice with authority as he inhales the scent of orange blossom. "You may _not_ come, you're to save that for me." Newt plants a kiss just behind her ear. "I'll know if you do, Tina. I'll be able to taste it."

She purrs in agreement while turning her head, chin jutting as she attempts to claim his mouth. He leans away to deny her before splaying his hand over her chest, gently but effectively pinning her to the mattress. Tina whines in the back of her throat but quits struggling when he drags his lips over the hinge of her jaw.

"I'll be back in five minutes," Newt breathes into her ear. "Now. You have something to do, haven't you?"

"Yes," Tina hisses, drawing out the last syllable while obediently spreading her legs. He takes a moment to watch appreciatively as she dips her fingers into herself before gaining his feet. She sighs when he turns away, and it takes a concentrated effort on his part to leave the room. Newt manages somehow, a task made infinitely easier when the door comes between them and he can no longer see or hear her.

Newt performs his ablutions quickly, one ear cocked to listen to her sounds of pleasure before re-entering the bedroom.

The sight he is greeted with is one he memorizes and tucks away for future visits during the long, lonely nights when he is away and missing her terribly.

Tina is spread over their mattress, knees bent and chest flushed prettily as she touches herself. Her cheeks are the same lovely shade of pink as her nipples, dark eyes sparkling when they meet his. Her breasts thrust invitingly into the air when she arches her back and sighs his name.

" _Please_ ," she breathes and cranks her legs wider in clear invitation. "Please, please…"

Newt takes a knee on the bed before bending to suck a rosy nipple. He rings it with his teeth, biting down hard enough to make her keen artlessly, back going stiff when he nibbles it before moving to the other side, leaving behind the perfect impression of his teeth. Tina hisses when Newt casually captures her wrists to force her hands away from her core, skin humping into goosebumps as he flicks his eyes to her face in clear censure as she quivers beneath him, plump bottom lip caught between her teeth.

"Did you come?" he asks conversationally. Tina shakes her head until he raises his eyebrow in warning.

"No," she gasps and arches her back in a silent plea for contact. Newt kisses the underside of her breast before teasingly dragging his tongue over the gentle swell, tasting her light sweat.

"Are you _sure?_ "

The sound she makes goes straight to his cock, stirring it with simple _want_ as her hips twitch. He's left nearly breathless with the sudden redirection of his blood flow, and takes a moment to pant against her skin before reasserting control over himself.

"I'm sure," Tina moans as she begins to struggle against where he holds her. Newt raises his head in disbelief, finding her lips parted and cheeks filled with hectic color. She nods frantically before cutting her eyes to his waist.

He follows her gaze to where his cock juts like an overwrought exclamation point, twitching it teasingly when understanding fills him. Tina's liquid moan buzzes over his skin until he shivers with goosebumps, anticipation making him tingle all over.

"Use your mouth on me, then," he instructs and releases her to lay back.

Tina is clumsy with eagerness when she scrambles over him, taking his length in hand before wrapping her painted lips around it. He groans while watching Tina dip her head with practiced efficiency, collapsing her cheeks to increase the suction before twining her tongue around his tip.

Newt gently cradles the back of her skull, a tremor rolling through him as she sucks and bobs and swirls until his jaw is tight and his stomach muscles twitch beneath his skin. He pushes her hair aside to watch her face, and she hums her thanks. The vibration races down his spine until he squeezes her shoulder in warning. Tina stops to crook a questioning eyebrow, and he shakes his head until she reluctantly pulls away.

"Not like this," Newt murmurs. Then, "Lay back. You may frig yourself while I calm down."

Tina throws herself backward while eagerly reaching between her thighs, stroking herself with practiced surety. Newt moves more slowly, kneeling between her knees to rub her hips, stomach, and thighs before tweaking her nipples.

She mewls when a slow ripple works through her abdominal muscles. A flush spreads over her chest, and he waits until her eyes go wide, her body tense and poised before snagging her wrist to yank her hand away. Tina hisses at him like a furious cat, squeezing him between her knees as he smirks down at her.

"I said you could touch yourself," Newt reminds her while leaning over to lick slow, teasing circles around her navel. "I did _not_ say I'd allow you to come."

She voices a disbelieving moan and squeezes her eyes shut. Newt frowns while straightening, a small part of him questioning the slow torture, but the more pragmatic part of his personality recognizing the necessity of it. He brushes his fingers teasingly through the dark curls at the juncture of her thighs before squeezing the swell of her hip, coming to a decision.

"Roll over." Tina tosses him a filthy look before jerkily turning onto her stomach.

Newt patiently guides her hands to the slatted headboard. She is white-knuckled with frustration as she hangs on, and he makes sure her head is at a comfortable angle before reaching for the first item on the side table: a vial of unscented oil.

"Tina," he murmurs as he slicks his hands, "You're to lay there while I touch you. You aren't to move. You aren't to tense up, either. I'm aware I've delayed your gratification twice now, but I promise that I'll make it worth the wait." He lays his oil-coated hands on her skin with a smile, closing his eyes to savor her low moan as he begins to knead the tense muscles in her shoulders.

"What happens if I don't listen?" Tina mumbles after a few moments of this. Newt waits until he discovers a particularly vicious knot, patiently working it out with his knuckles and the tips of his fingers before replying.

"I think you know the answer to that," he says conversationally. The knot eventually relaxes and he moves on to the next one while kissing her smooth neck. The skin beneath his lips flexes and he glances upwards to find that she's let go of the rail, her eyes heavy with challenge when she fists the pillow.

His fingers fall still as he lifts his head, considering her for a long moment before rocking onto his haunches.

"Please take up the rail again, Tina," he says levelly. She bites her lip in obvious indecision before complying. No sooner have her fingers wrapped around the headboard then he takes up the second object on the side table, a hank of silk rope, and binds her securely to the bed.

She jerks her chin up to watch him bind her hands before moaning, her hips twitching beneath him sensually. "Too tight?" Newt asks, and her hair whispers over the sheets when she shakes her head. "Good. You aren't to move," he reminds her as he resumes his ministrations.

Tina groans while sinking into the sheets, a slow, autonomous rolls taking her hips as he slides his hands down her back to the notch of her waist. Newt ignores her subconscious movements in favor of relaxing her, working the tension out of her by inches until his hands have reached her ankles and he begins his return trajectory.

She is boneless and pliant by the time he pets the curve of her bottom. Newt bends to lather the small of her back with kisses until she produces a lazy sound, her hips having long since gone still. "Are you relaxed?" Her reply is a slow exhale, eyelids fluttering. He smirks into her skin before reaching to free her bound hands, gently rubbing feeling back into them as she sighs happily.

Tina eyes him languidly when he helps her roll over before touching his mouth. She smiles at him, a slow expression of love and gratitude and countless other emotions that he could never hope to name. Newt leans in without thought, their palms pressed together as he kisses her red lips, until she slides her fingers through his hair and her thighs press into his side.

"We could sleep," he murmurs into her heavy eyes. She jerks her chin in negation.

"Not yet," Tina whispers and drags a sharp fingernail down his throat. "I'm relaxed, but I'm not _sleepy_. In fact…" She twitches her hips suggestively, causing him to bite back a smirk while painting senseless shapes over her stomach. Her eyes _darken_ when his thumb brushes through her curls, before dipping into the molten cleft between her thighs to find her engorged clit.

Her eyes drift closed when he circles the sensitive bud before tweaking it gently. He drinks in the sounds she makes when her lips part before sinking between her thighs. Tina sighs happily as he positions himself to drop small kisses over her mound, her hand cupping the nape of her neck when he parts her quim with his thumbs. She quivers out a moan when he runs his tongue the length of her seam before swirling around her clit.

" _Newt_ ," Tina breathes in warning as a tremble takes her stomach. He presses her thighs further apart, opening her up to him as she threads her fingers through his hair. Newt drags his tongue through her folds as she undulates, one hand abandoning her thigh to slide up her creamy stomach to her breast, cupping the swell and twisting her nipple until breathless gasps fill the air.

Tina comes with his tongue pressed into her, her body contracting around him as he laps at her until her trembling thighs squeeze his shoulders.

She breathes his name when he lifts his head, smiling at him lazily before wrapping her fingers around his arms. Tina hauls him up and over her, moaning when he slots one hand into the bend of her knee, gently guiding her other leg around his waist. She slides her arm around his shoulder to pull him in for a heated kiss, and it's her hand that guides him to where she is slick and yearning.

He gasps when he fills her, Tina's dark eyes widening as she flattens her palms over the mattress, angling her hips to offer _all_ of herself while breathing his name. Newt settles against her with a shaky sigh, slanting their mouths together when he withdraws before pushing back in with a moan. He inhales the sound she makes through heated eye contact, warming it with his body before returning it to her.

They pass gasps and sighs to each other as he loses his fingers in her hair, her hands a hot brand on his arms and shoulders. Newt releases her leg and Tina wraps it around him to pull him closer, her arms weaving around his shoulders as he kisses her deeply. He brushes her cheek and jaw with his thumb when she rocks her head back on a gasp, before pressing hot, dry kisses down the length of her throat.

" _Tina_ ," he chokes into her skin, and she whines in answer as her fingernails dig into his scars.

She pulses around him when she finds completion, his name spilling from her lips as she shudders beneath him. He watches her through slitted eyes before kissing her deeply, plucking his name and her breath from her lips. Newt breaks the kiss to groan when her hips press up to meet his, burying his fingers in her hair while kissing her jaw.

Tina tilts her chin to reclaim his lips while sliding her hands to the small of his back, digging in her fingernails and urging him to move faster. He increases his pace with a broken gasp, pressing his cheek against hers to speak her name, low and breathless in her ear, before latching onto her neck.

She murmurs his name while dragging her fingertips the length of his spine. Newt tips his forehead against hers to meet her eyes, his mouth falling open as lightning streaks across his nerves. He moans her name when Tina touches his upper lip with her tongue before smiling softly. His fingers dig into her skin as she rocks up to meet him, until Newt wrenches his eyes closed as he surges messily over the edge, gasping out her name when he comes.

Tina shields him with her arms when he lays his head on her chest, her fingers tenderly smoothing his hair as he sags in increments before kissing her, the movements clumsy and uncoordinated but no less passionate for all that. Newt breathes a small laugh against her lips when he breaks away, murmuring a quiet _"wow!"_ and prompting her to smile softly when he extricates himself before collapsing at her side.

Newt pulls her into his arms to rain kisses on her hair. Tina giggles when he tilts his chin to kiss her ringingly, her eyes smiling up at him when she tips her head back. "Are you okay?" she asks. Newt grins while cradling her jaw.

"I am… _better_ than okay," he responds. "Besides, I really should be asking you that." He gently fingers her wrists, which are showing clear signs of developing ropey bruises, before meeting her eyes with a frown.

Tina scoffs. "You can put some salve on them when you're ready to move," she murmurs while kissing his forehead. "There's no rush. I know you'll take care of me. You always do."

Newt swallows down sudden emotion while twining their fingers together. "I try," he admits hoarsely. "I don't know if I always succeed but I...I try. I _do_."

She _tsks_ gently and kisses his nose. He lifts his chin to capture her lips with his own, and they share a slow, tender kiss until he tucks her close, slotting his jaw into the notch of her shoulder and splaying his hand possessively across her stomach. Her hair tickles his chin when he tries to speak until he gives it up with a small laugh. Tina grins at him.

"You take care of me because that's what you _do_ , Newt. And I couldn't ever trust anyone the way I trust you."

"I think there's more to it than simple _trust_ ," he muses after a few moments. "I trust you because I love you, and I love you because I trust you. For me, they are one and the same." Her magnificent dark eyes twinkle up at him, and he smiles bashfully before going on. "And I think it's the same for you. Isn't it?"

"It is," she breathes. "Oh, Newt."

He cups her cheek gently as she blinks away tears until her smile regains its former radiance and her fingers dance across his skin. He reaches over her to the side drawer, and she gently bats his hand away before stroking the scars across his knuckles. "In the morning," she murmurs and tucks herself closer to him. "Sleep now."

Newt kisses her temple. "Are you sure?" he asks, and she hums while squeezing his hand.

"Sleep," she repeats inexorably, so he drapes his arm over her waist to pull her close, and presses his face into the back of her neck as she relaxes against him, her breathing turning slow and even.

He inhales her scent—soap and the rinse she uses in her hair, orange blossom perfume, and sweat—and closes his eyes.

Tina's breathy " _Love you, Newt,_ is the last thing he hears before sleep claims him.


End file.
